Entry Level Gaming Rig ($500)

[Captain Mold]

I'm pretty new to building PCs and i'm looking to get the most "Bang for my Buck" build.

 

So far this is what i have in mind:

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/awuk23/saved/#view=LZpZxr

 

My question is: Is there any way i can improve this build without hurting the budget or is there a way to keep the performance at a lower price?

[Kobathor]

Here's a better computer for cheaper:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($85.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($31.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R7 370 2GB Video Card  ($109.99 @ Micro Center) 
Case: NZXT Source 210 Window ATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Micro Center) 
Total: $480.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-29 01:59 EDT-0400

 

Replaced the 6300 with an i3. The i3 has better performance in pretty much every game, and it's the same price. You can upgrade it to an i5 or i7 later if you'd like.

Motherboard choice is cheaper, and it can overclock if you put a k-sku part in it later.

Changed the video card to an R7 370 2GB, as it has more performance than the 750ti for the same price.

Changed the power supply to a CXM 650w. The Corsair CXM series is NOT the same as the CX series, the CXM are quality power supplies while still remaining cheap. 

All this for $20 less!

[Captain Mold]

That was very fast. Thanks! I'll look these up. Probably get that spare $20 put into a better case for future upgrades.

[onemanarmy720]

4 minutes ago, Captain Mold said:

That was very fast. Thanks! I'll look these up. Probably get that spare $20 put into a better case for future upgrades.

or for a copy of windows 10

[Wiflare]

4 minutes ago, Captain Mold said:

That was very fast. Thanks! I'll look these up. Probably get that spare $20 put into a better case for future upgrades.

Do you live within 20 miles of a micro center?

[Kobathor]

2 minutes ago, Captain Mold said:

That was very fast. Thanks! I'll look these up. Probably get that spare $20 put into a better case for future upgrades.

Also, I made the "theme" black and white. Not intentional, but that PC should look nice! While putting together that build, I found out how easy it is to get into PC gaming for cheap. Some of these parts are on sale, but this PC is barely more expensive than the PS4 was when it launched, and it should run games fine at 1080p 60FPS, unlike the PS4 and Xbox One. Crazy stuff.

 

Also, you can get a Windows 10 license for around $20 on Kinguin.net

[dizmo]

9 minutes ago, Kobathor said:

Here's a better computer for cheaper:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($85.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($31.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R7 370 2GB Video Card  ($109.99 @ Micro Center) 
Case: NZXT Source 210 Window ATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Micro Center) 
Total: $480.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-29 01:59 EDT-0400

 

Replaced the 6300 with an i3. The i3 has better performance in pretty much every game, and it's the same price. You can upgrade it to an i5 or i7 later if you'd like.

Motherboard choice is cheaper, and it can overclock if you put a k-sku part in it later.

Changed the video card to an R7 370 2GB, as it has more performance than the 750ti for the same price.

Changed the power supply to a CXM 650w. The Corsair CXM series is NOT the same as the CX series, the CXM are quality power supplies while still remaining cheap. 

All this for $20 less!

You could save a lot more than that if you didn't use a Z motherboard with a chip you can't OC

I'd use the savings to get an SSD.

[Captain Mold]

3 minutes ago, onemanarmy720 said:

or for a copy of windows 10

You got me there.

2 minutes ago, Wiflare said:

Do you live within 20 miles of a micro center?

Unfortunately not, i do live within 20 miles of an entire block of PC Parts Retailers though.

2 minutes ago, Kobathor said:

Also, I made the "theme" black and white. Not intentional, but that PC should look nice! While putting together that build, I found out how easy it is to get into PC gaming for cheap. Some of these parts are on sale, but this PC is barely more expensive than the PS4 was when it launched, and it should run games fine at 1080p 60FPS, unlike the PS4 and Xbox One. Crazy stuff.

 

Also, you can get a Windows 10 license for around $20 on Kinguin.net

Yeah, i noticed that theme too. From my original build i got too focused on using an AMD Chip and Motherboard because of a friend's recommendation. This is absolutely better though.

[onemanarmy720]

1 minute ago, Captain Mold said:

You got me there.

Unfortunately not, i do live within 20 miles of an entire block of PC Parts Retailers though.

Yeah, i noticed that theme too. From my original build i got too focused on using an AMD Chip and Motherboard because of a friend's recommendation. This is absolutely better though.

you friend didn't have too good of a recommendation, take it from a guy who used to have an fx6300

[aisle9]

My go at it:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($26.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($47.49 @ OutletPC) 
Case: Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($29.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($58.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Other: Radeon RX 470 8GB ($179.99)
Total: $504.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-29 02:11 EDT-0400

 

The i3 gives you an upgrade path to a 6500 or 6700, but you'd need to buy a Z motherboard if you intended to overclock a K chip. If you're ok with a lower-tier GPU like a 460 or a GTX 950, you could squeeze an SSD into the budget. The case was literally a "find the cheapest thing that will work and throw it in as an afterthought" decision, so style points there are lacking.

[Captain Mold]

2 minutes ago, onemanarmy720 said:

you friend didn't have too good of a recommendation, take it from a guy who used to have an fx6300

Haha, which is exactly why i looked for an active tech community.

[Kobathor]

1 minute ago, dizmo said:

You could save a lot more than that if you didn't use a Z motherboard with a chip you can't OC

I'd use the savings to get an SSD.

The motherboard is $86. If you look at the list of motherboards, most of the ones cheaper than this one are Micro-ATX, and they're missing some features people would want. Also, with the Z chipset, you can upgrade to an unlocked i5 or i7 down the road, and overclock it without replacing the motherboard. As long as I kept the price under $500 I was happy. Also, you can still fit an SSD in the budget, you'd just have to forfeit the HDD. As you can see here: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/VgCtJV Got the SSD, but no mass storage.

 

2 minutes ago, Captain Mold said:

Yeah, i noticed that theme too. From my original build i got too focused on using an AMD Chip and Motherboard because of a friend's recommendation. This is absolutely better though.

The current AMD lineup of CPU's is just not good for gaming. And I know that, 'cause I used to have the best AMD FX CPU. I do hope their Zen lineup of CPU's are good, or else their consumer CPU business is gonna die.

[Wiflare]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($26.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($44.90 @ Amazon) 
Case: Antec VSK4000E U3 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($32.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Other: rx 480 ($200.00)
Total: $508.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-29 02:17 EDT-0400

 

Cut costs where they didn't need to be, and squeezed enough budget to get an rx 480.

 

Edit: I'd like to note I've used the case, it's great. The hard drive is HGST, which is the most reliable hdd brand by far.

The evga 500b psu has a good review on jonnyguru, too.

[Mcmole]

I put more money into the GPU, Case, And PSU. As those are some of the most important things needed when wanting to upgrade.

 

I just could not recommend a HHD over a SSD, I would try and get a second hand 240 gb SSD if I where you and add any HHD you have laying around (even if its off your old PC)

Or just pick a 1TB up for $45 later on.

Also managed to get you a RX 480 into the build which will give you the best price to performance for now. And with the motherboard you can also what that CPU later on down the track for a I5 6500/6600. 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($30.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Cooler Master 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Other: RX 480 ($200.00)
Total: $536.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-29 02:14 EDT-0400

 

[Captain Mold]

3 minutes ago, Kobathor said:

The motherboard is $86. If you look at the list of motherboards, most of the ones cheaper than this one are Micro-ATX, and they're missing some features people would want. Also, with the Z chipset, you can upgrade to an unlocked i5 or i7 down the road, and overclock it without replacing the motherboard. As long as I kept the price under $500 I was happy. Also, you can still fit an SSD in the budget, you'd just have to forfeit the HDD. As you can see here: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/VgCtJV Got the SSD, but no mass storage. .

SSD isn't that much of a priority for me right now as this will just be a start up build for me that i will either be upgrading or giving away to family in a few months. I Just want to familiarize myself with building, i'm picking this up as a hobby.

[Zyndo]

for 500 bucks, if you want the best bang for your buck. dont buy new. buy parts used, and you can get a hell of a computer for 500 bucks. buy them new and you'll be struggling @ 1080p

[Kobathor]

1 minute ago, Captain Mold said:

SSD isn't that much of a priority for me right now as this will just be a start up build for me that i will either be upgrading or giving away to family in a few months. I Just want to familiarize myself with building, i'm picking this up as a hobby.

oooooooh. Well, that PC is a decent spec for gaming, so it would be a crazy nice $500 present.

4 minutes ago, Mcmole said:

Also managed to get you a RX 480 into the build which will give you the best price to performance for now. And with the motherboard you can also what that CPU later on down the track for a I5 6500/6600. 

Watch out- the RX 480 4gb is probably (definitely) going to be more than $200 for third-party coolers.

[dizmo]

6 minutes ago, Kobathor said:

The motherboard is $86. If you look at the list of motherboards, most of the ones cheaper than this one are Micro-ATX, and they're missing some features people would want. Also, with the Z chipset, you can upgrade to an unlocked i5 or i7 down the road, and overclock it without replacing the motherboard. As long as I kept the price under $500 I was happy. Also, you can still fit an SSD in the budget, you'd just have to forfeit the HDD. As you can see here: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/VgCtJV Got the SSD, but no mass storage.

 

The current AMD lineup of CPU's is just not good for gaming. And I know that, 'cause I used to have the best AMD FX CPU. I do hope their Zen lineup of CPU's are good, or else their consumer CPU business is gonna die.

I get the reason, but it's flawed. Pretty badly. You should build for the current, not for the future. Why cripple a build while you hold out for some upgrade in the future? It doesn't make sense. Especially since if you're on that tight of a budget, chances are by the time you can upgrade you might as well buy all new.

I'd probably try for an RX 480, or a used GTX 970. B series board. I'm not sure what features you would be missing out on with those

[Mcmole]

5 minutes ago, Kobathor said:

 

Watch out- the RX 480 4gb is probably (definitely) going to be more than $200 for third-party coolers.

Who said anything about third party coolers. You can buy the reference model if need be, sure you won't be able to overclock as much but you will get the same stock performance, Also from what I have seen on Newegg already they only cost 30$ more. And that's Up to him if he wants to make that decision at the time when he has the money.

[Captain Mold]

12 minutes ago, Wiflare said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($26.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($44.90 @ Amazon) 
Case: Antec VSK4000E U3 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($32.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Other: rx 480 ($200.00)
Total: $508.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-29 02:17 EDT-0400

 

Cut costs where they didn't need to be, and squeezed enough budget to get an rx 480.

This build has so much elbow space for upgrades, and so does the build below.

11 minutes ago, Mcmole said:

I put more money into the GPU, Case, And PSU. As those are some of the most important things needed when wanting to upgrade.

 

I just could not recommend a HHD over a SSD, I would try and get a second hand 240 gb SSD if I where you and add any HHD you have laying around (even if its off your old PC)

Or just pick a 1TB up for $45 later on.

Also managed to get you a RX 480 into the build which will give you the best price to performance for now. And with the motherboard you can also what that CPU later on down the track for a I5 6500/6600. 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($30.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Cooler Master 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Other: RX 480 ($200.00)
Total: $536.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-29 02:14 EDT-0400

 

My only problem with this is that extra $30. It's not much but it sort of beats the purpose.

9 minutes ago, Zyndo said:

for 500 bucks, if you want the best bang for your buck. dont buy new. buy parts used, and you can get a hell of a computer for 500 bucks. buy them new and you'll be struggling @ 1080p

I've had terrible experience with used items. So i tend to stay away. I do agree that it is cheaper and with some luck you might get a better performing rig with better parts.

8 minutes ago, Kobathor said:

Watch out- the RX 480 4gb is probably (definitely) going to be more than $200 for third-party coolers.

This i don't get. I have no clue why the prices jump or how you can predict them.

[Kobathor]

1 minute ago, Captain Mold said:

This i don't get. I'm have no clue why the prices jump or how you can predict them.

Reference cards are cheap. Third-party cards are more expensive. It's how it's always been. In time, the prices will be stable.

 

[Mcmole]

3 minutes ago, dizmo said:

 You should build for the current, not for the future.

Mostly true, However you should take things into account, Like your PSU choice (amount of Watts, And modularity) As to allow for newer GPU's Dual GPU's and cosmetic upgrades like sleeved cables in the future.

 

Same goes with the case, you do not want to limit yourself to say a ITX build If you know you will want to upgrade your motherboard anytime soon, or want a decent amount of storage. (Which the OP wanted to do)

 

I do agree with not going for a Z chipset though with this build as you will be throwing away money in this case.

[Wiflare]

6 minutes ago, Captain Mold said:

 

My only problem with this is that extra $30. It's not much but it sort of beats the purpose.

 

You could totally pick and choose parts from either one, to get a price in the middle.

Personally, I'd choose a different case such as a fractal core 1000 or 1100, but that is a few bucks more.

 

Off topic: this is some of the best, most constructive criticism I've ever seen on this forum. Good work peeps.

[Mcmole]

5 minutes ago, Captain Mold said:

 

My only problem with this is that extra $30. It's not much but it sort of beats the purpose.

 

Like I said, I put the money into the things you said you wanted like a better case for future upgrades, you can always change out the case if need be to save a few $...

 

I also put more money into a really really decent PSU. But if you cheap out on a PSU you can up frying your entire build if your not careful. But again, you can pick a cheaper option which will bring the price down to the $505 'ish range.

[Zyndo]

9 minutes ago, Captain Mold said:

I've had terrible experience with used items. So i tend to stay away. I do agree that it is cheaper and with some luck you might get a better performing rig with better parts.

not "might"... if you buy smart you definitely will come out ahead. way ahead.

 

But if you're not interested in that, get a Pentium G4400, build a system around that, and then get an RX 470/480. that will give you the best gaming experience you can afford, and allow for a future upgrade path based on that.

 

Get this build and then dump as much as you can afford into a new Polaris GPU. There are certainly better options for NOW, but getting this computer allows you to cheaply upgrade your CPU, GPU, or RAM one at a time without needing a whole new computer. Your PSU, motherboard, and case are more expensive than they need to be. but those components should last you many many many years. plop a new CPU in when you can afford it. upgrade RAM when you need it. and upgrade GPU when you want it. do this or you will be in the same predicament in 1-2 years looking for another complete computer for 500 bucks, instead of just buying the 3 main components for 500 bucks.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/zpNWXH

 

Everyone gonna be screaming "bottleneck bottleneck"..... smh. in 99% of games, that just wont happen. and in the 1% it will, well he has a 500 dollar computer. the 500 dollar pricetag is his bottleneck, not his components. the link I posted is the computer you SHOULD buy for 500 bucks.